CHAPTER II.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE.

Preparatory Decomposing Exercises.-The first ef fort of the student in this connection should be directed to free the arms, in short the whole body, from all rigidity; to destroy habitual movements, by counteracting exercises and general development. Then the body is prepared to respond to the action of the mind.

Exercises.-I.

ness.

Work the fingers to free them from stiff

2. Dangle the hands, and shake the arms freely from the shoulder, up and down, whirling in, then out; now rotate the body on the hip-joints, letting the arms and hands fly whither they may, while rotating the body.

3. Lift the main arm until the elbow is level with the shoulder. Shake it back and forth, letting the forearm dangle to the very finger tips.

4. (1). Slowly lift the arm extended forward up as high as the level of the head, then down, the back of the wrist leading while moving up, the face of the wrist leading down, while the fingers trail. Take care to make the movements from the shoulder easy and flowing.

(2.) Make this same movement; hands level with the shoulders in bringing them near together in front; then out till extended from the sides. Continue these; first (1), then (2).

In these movements, command a steady body, and feel balanced with the "sea-poise," as though buoyed up by a surrounding element.

5. Practise any exercise that will give suppleness to the limbs.

In all these movements avoid making hard work of it. Let the mind be free, else the mental constraint will sympathetically affect the muscles.

6. Combination movement. This movement educates the movement of the hand and arm in preparing for a gest ure, and also combines movements found in many gestures. It also educates the muscles to nicety and precision of

action.

Slowly lift the arm extended in front, the fingers dangling or trailing; when the hand is level with the eye, hold and sight over the thumb to an object on the wall; hold in this position and depress the wrist; the open palm is now from you, imagine a ball against the palm, turn the hand out around this imaginary ball, now the fingers are depressed and palm up and out; fold the fingers on the palm, beginning with the little finger. We now have the half fist (thumb unfolded). Fold this half fist upon the forearm, the forearm on the main arm. Let the half fist dip in and down, the elbow moving up in opposition. Now unfold the arm, palm down, extending with a final thrust, fingers straightened.

In this combination there are at least eight distinct movements. These may be resolved into three general movements, the preparation in lifting, the folding in, and the folding out. The latter is spiral.

All the above exercises should be practised, first by the right, then by the left arm and hand, and then by both.

Cultivate muscular consciousness. When the hands are passive by the sides, we feel their weight.

The criteria that will be given in another place will be virtually a following out of this same principle of freeing the body, and educating the muscles to perform the most commonly used expressions.

As the corresponding emotions are associated with their appropriate expression, these criteria will have the additional advantage of the constructive element in their practice.

Laws. -There are seven general principles or laws of gesture, in conformity to which action must be made.

I. Evolution. The expression centres in the eye, first manifests itself there, and then radiates to the extremities of the body. The pugilist watches his antagonist's eyes instead of his fists, for the purpose and direction of the blow first manifests itself there.

2. Materialization.

According to this principle, you can treat truth as you treat a material object. In this case truth is symbolized. A cube of wood may be employed. The hand beneath it, palm up, supports the block; but on the top it crushes it down. The hand edged in front, protects it; at the side, limits or defines; the hand removed from beneath refuses support, and it falls; a movement against it overthrows it. The hand, in these same positions or movements, not only appropriately but naturally expresses the same attitude or action toward fact or truth.

3. Sequence. Gesture precedes or accompanies the spoken word. This principle is frequently violated. Mechanical gesture has this among other faults. "My Lord Northumberland, we license your departure with your son." Just before or while uttering the word "departure" make a strong wafture of the hand, signifying, depart immediately. Make the same gesture while or after pronouncing the word "son," and mark the difference.

4. Succession. In moving from the centre, the old does not cease till the new begins to act, that is, the eye does not relax till the body begins to move. The main arm does not cease motion till the forearm moves, the forearm does not cease till the hand begins to move. This succession prevents angular movements.

5. Velocity. The rate of movement is inversely proportionate to the mass moved. A trifling matter is tossed off with a quick movement, but "Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone," is labored and slow.

6. Suavity. Tender, kind emotions express themselves in circular movements. The more vehement the emotion, the more angular will be the gesture.

7. Opposition. In making a movement of two parts of the body in gesture, each part should move in opposite directions, or else a parallelism is perpetrated. To illustrate: If in salutation, the hand be lifted near the face, and the arm, body, and all together, be moved forward in bowing, we have a parallelism. If, however, while inclining the head and body we lift the hands, the movements between these parts are in opposition, then moving the head back to the erect position, we toss the hand out and down in opposition.

CHAPTER III.

CRITERIA FOR PRACTICE.

IN the following chapters will be given the sentiments oftenest used, with their corresponding expression, for practice.

The expressiveness of the various members will be considered, the attitudes and inflections given. The criteria to follow are modifications of Delsarte's classification, and may be analyzed and practised, in order to establish the habit of appropriately expressing the sentiments desired.

In practice, gesture must always be made in reference to an object or audience. Avoid making the gesture too much to one side, and on too low a plane.

Though the different parts of the body are considered separately, they do not act exclusively in expression.

Each agent of action-language has its rôle. It is well to note how each movement is transmitted from agent to agent. Inflections or fugitive movements are transmitted in this manner; but attitudes are characteristic, and cannot be so treated. Whatever affects the agents severally may affect them simultaneously.

The Chest in Expression. — In treating of the attitudes of the chest, we understand it includes the whole trunk, and shares the shoulder movements.

The attitudes of the chest are:

First, Conditional, which shows condition of chest in itself. Second, Relative attitude, relating chest to an object. The Conditional Attitudes. - First, Expansion. It shows different degrees of excitement, courage, or power in the will. Second, Contraction. It shows different degrees of timidity, effort, pain, or convulsion in the will.